Divinity Recipe

It is officially the Christmas season. No one can argue with me about that anymore. It’s after Thanksgiving. It’s December. It’s official. One of things we love at Christmas – and other times – is divinity candy.

While I was in Kentucky visiting my family, I made a couple of batches of divinity. They were a big hit. My brother even bestowed the ultimate compliment on me:

“The divinity is good. It’s as good as Mama’s.”

Like me, and Mama, my brother doesn’t hand out compliments casually, so I knew he meant it.

We shared some with the nurses at the hospital and one of them said it was the best he had ever eaten. So, I was feeling quite proud of myself. I will just not mention the number of batches I had to make until I kind of got the hang of it. Some things are best left in the past. Nor will I mention that every once in awhile I have to throw out a batch and start over. If things don’t go well, you can’t fix it. Just toss it and start over. It’s cheap until you add the nuts.

If you didn’t know my mom and her penchant for divinity making, suffice it to say she won the purple grand champion ribbon at the fair for her divinity.

It has taken me awhile to get the hang of it and, frankly, every time I start a batch there’s an element of mystery to how it will turn out. But, I keep making it. Miss Joy has provided me with ample opportunity to practice this past year, which has been nice.

Anyway, I’m sharing the recipe with you in case you want to make some for the holidays. My mom heard this on the radio in the 1930s and wrote it down.

Mix sugar, syrup and water. Stir together and then cook over medium heat without stirring. Beat the egg whites so they hold their shape. I go toward the “stiffly beaten” side as opposed to the “soft peak” side. When the cooked mixture spins a nice thread, pour it slowly into the beaten egg whites and continue to beat until it starts to “fudge.” When it will hold its shape you can spoon it out onto waxed paper to cool. I don’t add the nuts until I know it’s going to “fudge,” but if you’re confident you can put them in earlier.